Player-piano action



W. J. WODRASKA. PLAYER PIANO ACT|0N- APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1919.

Pdtented Aug. 10, 1920.

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PLAYER PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION map MAY 2, 1919.

INVENTOR ATTOM Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. J. WODRASKA.

PLAYER PIANO ACTION. APPLICATION man MAY 2, 1919.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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PLAYEBFPIANO ACTION. i l 5" "1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed May 2, 1919. Serial No. 294,234.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VALTER J. WODRASKA, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedPlayer-Piano Action, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to automatic or self playing musical instrumentsand has particular reference to player piano actions. By the term piano,however, I do not wish to be unnecessarily limited in the followingspecification and claims to any specific type of instrument, it beingunderstood that certain features of my improvement relating especiallyto the pneumatic control may be applicable as well to automatic organactions or the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a player piano actionof the most compact and simple construction adapting it for cheapmanufacture, easy and inexpensive assemblage, and convenience of accessfor inspection, repair or interchange of parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide for each pneumatic or pairof vertically alined pneumatics a single and detachable valve block, thesame providing for easy inspection or repair of any valve or associatedparts without disturbing any of the other valve mechanisms.

A further object is to provide improved valves so balanced as to be mostresponsive to the pneumatic operation.

A still further object is to improve the hammer operating means withrespect especially to the bell crank rocker arm for each pneumatic andcertain devices cooperating with said rocker.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists inthe arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact detailsof construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose ofillustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate thesame parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is a verticaltransverse section of a portion of a piano illustrating my improvement,the plane of the section being indicated at the line 11 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the mechanism at the lower portion ofFig. 1, parts being broken away at different planes.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional detail on the broken line 3 3 of Fig.1.

Fig. 4; is a vertical. sectional detail on the broken line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the diaphragm devices with parts insection on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the valve block as would be seen from theplane of the line 66 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to a portion. of Fig. 1 and indicatingthe changed position of the movable parts of the pneumatic action.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings I show a self-playingmusical instrument including a tracker board 10 over which the notesheet 11 operates in any well known or approved manner, and from which aseries of tubes 12 lead to a corresponding number of individual vacuumpockets 13 in the upper portion of the valve casing indicated as a wholeat 14. This casing is provided at one end or at any other desired pointswith an air trunk 15 from which a tube 16 leads to any suitable pump orsuction appliances, not shown, for the purpose of maintaining a suitablewicuum in a vacuum chest 17 extending along the entire casing.

The valve casing 14 includes an upright support or base panel 18 alongthe rear and open surface of which are formed air channels or grooves 19each leading throughout the length of the panel and providing free inletfor atmospheric air through inlet ports 20 bored directly horizontallythrough the panel 18. Adjacent to each inlet port 20 is formed anexhaust port 21 shown in the drawings as being directly above the inletport and communicating at its inner end with a passage 22 in which islocated a normally open inlet valve 23 and whereby a condition ofatmospheric air normally obtains throughout the inlet port 20, passage22, exhaust port 21, and the interior of the pneumatic 24 associatedwith these features. For the sake of compactness and simplicity ofconstruction as well as facility for in spection and repair I providethe neumatics in pairs, one pneumatic of each pair being above the otherand with their vertical stationary backs 25 fixed to the grooved surfaceof the panel 18 over the grooves 19-. The movable backs 26 of thepneumatics are arranged substantially vertically but one in a directionopposite to the other, or as indicated with the ends thereof having'HlZLXl mum throw adjacent to each other and opposite the middle portionof the valve casing so that links 27 pivotally connected to the movablebarks 26 may connect with the upper ends or arms 28 of bell crankrockers 29- pivoted at 30 upon bearings 31, one for each rocker, andsecured upon a base rail 32 along the rear portion of the casing 14.Thus the points of connection 28 between the links 27 and the rockersare all coaxial and the rockers are all identical with one another.

The rest rail 33 lies beneath and normally supports the rearwardlyextending .arm 34 of each rocker which is slotted horizontally at 35 toafford maximum flexibility of action in its cotiperationwith theadjustable tappet 36 carried by the hammer jack or abstract 37. Eachrocker has longer and shorter arms, the longer arm being linked to thepneumatic while the shorter armis arranged to directly attack theabstract 37 constituting a part of the striking mechanism. A check rail88 is fixed in spaced relation to and above the arms 34 and carries aseries of adjustable tappets 39 for easy and individual regulation ofthe throw of each of the rockers. The parts are main tained in therelative positions indicated in Fig. 1 either by gravity or suitablyarranged springs, and so each pneumatic is normally distended and filledwith atmospheric air.

The vacuum chest 17 is provided or constituted by the space between thepanel 18 at the rear ans a diaphragm panel 40' in front. These panelsare connected by strips 41 and 42 at the top and bottom respectivelyrigidly connected in any suitable manner to the upper. and lower edgesof the base panel 18, while the diaphragm panel 40 is removablyconnected to the strips 41 and 42 by screws 43, or their equivalent. Thevacuum chest 17 thus formed is largely filled by means. of the valveblocks 44 already referred to, but sufficient space is left to insurefree communication along the vacuum chest for the exhaust of the air andpneumatic action dependent thereon. The diaphragm panel 40 is a unitarystructure coextensive in length with the valve casing 14. and isprovided with a diaphragm 45 for each valve, each diaphragm having itsmargin glued or otherwise secured upon the rear surface of the panel 40while the main portion of the diaphragm is loosely and flexibly held fornormal projection forward into a cavity 46 shown best in Fig. 2 aselliptical in form with its major axis upright. To the rear face of thecentral portion of the diaphragm is fitted a contact strip orreinforcement 47 against which the front head 48 of the valve bears.From each of the cavities 46 leads a port 49 shown as extending upwardinto communication with the individual vacuum pocket 13 at the top ofthe valve casing 14. A pin hole 50 affords communication between theport 49 and the vacuum chest 17 in order to establish an equilibrium ofpressures on opposite sides of the diaphragm except as such equilibriumis disturbed during the operation of the device.

Each valve block 44 accommodates two valves, one above the other asshown. Each valve considered as a whole comprises a stem 51 to the rearend of which is fixed the inlet valve 23, already referred to, and tothe front end' of which is fixed the head 48, while intermediate of theinlet valve and head is fixed what maybe termed a vacuum valve 52. Whilethe inlet valve 23 is adapted to cooperate with but is normally spacedfrom the front end portion of the inlet port 20' as a valve seat thevacuum valve 52 is normally closed being seated forward against a valveseat 53 in the nature of a metal plate or the like fixed as by screws 54to the front surface of the block 44. While the inlet valve 23 islocated and operates within the passageway 22 formed in the rear wall ofthe block, the vacuum valve is similarl'y fitted in a pocket 55 formedin the front wall. of the block. The passage 22 and pocket 55 have freecommunication with each other through an opening 56 arranged between thetop of the pocket 55 and the central portion of the passage 22 and henceabove the axis of the stem 51. Said'stem has loose sliding bearing in ahole 57 bored cally balanced between the inlet and vacuum valves byvirtue of the character of the sup port for the valve so that the valveas a whole is maintained with its stem practically horizontal at alltimes and so is free to reciprocate as intended for the opening andclosing of the respective valves carried thereby. By this arrangement Iam able to provide a valve mechanism of relatively short reecip rocationbut maximum reliability of action because of the manner of constructingand balancing the valves for direct coiiperation in alternation withtheir respective seats.

From the foregoing specific description of the mechanism its mode ofoperation may be briefly summarized as follows: Assuming the parts inthe position shown in Fig. 1 with the condition of atmospheric air inthe pneumatics and all other parts and cavities at the right side of thevacuum valves 52 and with a condition of suitable vacuum in the vacuumchest 17, cavities 46, ports 49, and pockets 13, if the note sheet 11 beoperated so as to bring a perforation in registry with the upper end ofa tube 12 atmospheric air will be admitted downward through the tube 12,pocket 13, port 49 and cavity 46, giving the diaphragm so affected arearward puff causing the unscating of the vacuum valve and the seatingof the inlet valve The unseating of the vacuum valve, by reason of thearea of the diaphragm being greater than that of the valve, establishescommunication between the vacuum chest and the hole 56 and thus thepneumatic immediately collapses due to the air pressure upon the rearwall 26 thereof while the air from within the pneumatic passes freelyinto the vacuum chest. The closing ofthe valve 23 causes the momentaryshutting off of communication between the inlet port 20 and the passage22 so that the intended action of the pneumatic is not interfered withby the open rooves 19. When the perforation through t e note sheet willhave passed the hole in the tracker board the vacuum condition isreestablished in the cavity 46, and the vacuum valve 52 will be promptlyseated thereafter into normal position permitting the free inlet of airthrough the inlet port 20, passage 22, and port 21 into the interior ofthe pneumatic. Thus it will be seen that my improved pneumatic action inand relating to the valve casing 14 is of the most compact and simpleconstruction not only occupying a minimum amount of space, butafi'ording maximum facility for inspection, repairs, or the like.

I claim:

1. In a pneumatic player piano, the combination of a valve casing, aplurality of pncumatics carried thereby, hammer actuating meanscooperating with the pneumatics, said casing being provided with avacuum chest common to a plurality of the pneumatics, a series of valveblocks arranged within the vacuum chest, a plurality of independentvalves supported by and within each block and controlling communicationbetween the atmospheric air in the respective pneumatic and the vacuumin the chest, and means to provide pneumatic actuation of each valve.

2. In a valve chest for pneumatic player pianos, the combination of aplurality of walls affording a vacuum chest coextensive with the valvechest, a plurality of individual valve blocks fixed to one of the wallsand within the vacuum chest, a reciprocating double valve structure ineach of the blocks and supported between its valves in said block forreciprocation to control communication between the atmosphere and vacuumchest, and means providing for the pneumatic actuation of each valve sosupported.

3. The herein described pneumatic player piano action comprising a valvecasing having formed therein a vacuum chest, a series of independentvalve blocks secured in the chest, each block carrying a plurality ofvalve mechanisms, each valve mechanism comprising a stem, an inlet valveat one end of the stem, a head at the other end of the stem and a vacuumvalve intermediate of the inlet valve and head, said valves beingadapted to seat on their respective seats in alternation, the valve stembeing supported for reciprocation in a hole formed through the valveblock, and a diaphragm device for actuating the valve through contactwith said head.

4. In a player piano, the combination with a pair of pneumatics arrangedone above the other in direct vertical alinement and having their activeends adjacent to each other, a pair of rockers pivoted coaxially of eachother back of the pneumatics, and means connecting the individualpneumatics with the alined upper ends of the rockers, of a check railextending longitudinally along and spaced from said rockers,individually adjustable stop means carried by the check rail forcooperation with the individual rockers, abstract means, and means tocause the rockers to attack the abstract means but disconnectedtherefrom.

WALTER JOSEPH WODRASKA.

